Sunday Special: Earth Day: Heaps And Mounds: Compost Cuts Waste

April 21, 1991|By MARK DI VINCENZO Staff Writer

WILLIAMSBURG — A newspaper can get quite a workout in Judy Kator's house.

Most people just read them. Kator uses them to wash her windows. ``I mix vinegar and water for my cleaning solution,'' says the Williamsburg resident, ``and the newspapers work well, like paper towels. No ink smears.'' Then, of course, they get recycled.

Kator is one of a growing group of people that a national polling group calls ``true-blue greens:'' citizen environmentalists who, among other things, recycle nearly everything that can be recycled, don't buy products perceived as environmentally irresponsible and, in many cases, build compost piles in their back yards.

In fact, Kator, who grew up on the water in Gloucester, has two fish- and frog-stocked ponds in her back yard because she missed the sound of croaking

frogs.

The Roper Organization, a New York public-opinion polling firm, estimates that about 11 percent of Americans qualify as true-blue greens; that percentage is slowly rising.

Kator, her husband and her 8-year-old son produce the equivalent of about four grocery bags of trash a week.

Here are some of the things she does to reduce the amount of landfill-bound trash:

* Gives broken or unwanted large appliances and furniture to charities.

* Recycles newspapers, aluminum, plastics and glass.

* Gives catalogs, egg cartons and paper to schools for art classes.

* Buys products packaged in containers that can be easily recycled; when that's impossible, buys food in bulk because it usually comes with less packaging.

* Buys produce, such as apples and potatoes, in small quantities so plastic bags aren't needed for them.

* Sends her child to school with a lunch box with a thermos and a cloth napkin inside rather than a paper bag with a juice box or a milk carton and a paper napkin, all of which will be discarded after one use.

Kator says she didn't do these things until 1987, when she learned of the air pollution caused by mass-burn waste incinerators.

``Until then, I didn't know much or care much about my garbage,'' she says. ``I do this for that reason. But if people see recycling as a problem, it will probably be a barrier they won't cross.''

EARTHKEEPERS COLUMN

``Earthkeepers''is a new environmental awareness column that is now appearing in your weekly Neighbors sections.

Written by environmental experts in Hampton Roads, the column offers information and tips on topics such as recycling, no-chemical gardening and beautification ideas. Each column includes a list of where to take household recyclables.

Readers are also invited to submit environment-related questions that will be answered by some of the experts.

``Earthkeepers'' appears in the Wednesday Neighbors for readers who live South of the James, on the Middle Peninsula and in Williamsburg and York County/Poquoson. Readers in Hampton, Newport News and Denbigh will find their column in their Neighbors sections on Thursdays.